Slip



G. B. GORDY, JR

Jan. 17, 1939.

SLIP

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, 1936 Jan. 17 193 e. B. GORDY. JR

SLIP

Filed Oct. 17, 1936.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFlCE SLIP John S. Gordy Application October 17, 1936, Serial No. 106,171

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a slip. It is an object of the invention to provide a slip, or pipe holder, whereby pipe may be suspended in a well and securely held against slippage.

It is another object of the invention to provide a slip of the character described whereby the suspended pipe may be also securely held against turning while the pipe is being made up and lowered into, or broken out and withdrawn from the well.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a slip wherein the slip shell will contact with the adapter, throughout their opposing areas irrespective of the elevation of the shell in the adapter.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pipe holding slip of the character described, wherein the slip shell and the pipe engaging insert therein assume different elevations with respect to the adapter depending upon the diameter of the pipe engaged by the slip to the end that pipes of different diameters may be engaged and securely held and wherein the outer faces of the shell sections will contact with the corresponding faces of the adapter throughout their opposing areas irrespective of the diameter of the pipe, or irrespective of the elevation of the slip sections relative to the adapter.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, arrangement of parts and use, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the slip seated in the adapter.

Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows an inside view of the slip shell.

Figure 4 shows a transverse sectional view of connected shell segments.

Figure 5 shows a plan view of the adapter.

Figure 6 shows a fragmentary vertical sectional view of connected shell segments showing the handle.

Figure 7 shows a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 4.

Figure 8 shows a vertical sectional view of the shell and insert assembly, and

Figure 9 shows a vertical sectional view of the table and table support of a rotary drilling machine, showing the slip and pipe held therein.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numerals l, I designate the respective sections of the adapter which are of similar construction and which are externally tapered downwardly to fit into the seat 2 of the rotary table 3.

The upper end of the assembled adapter is preferably polygonal in cross sectional contour to seat in a correspondingly shaped seat 4 of the table to form a driving connection therewith.

The inner sides of the adapter section are formed with the downwardly converging faces 5 to receive the corresponding segments 6 of the slip shell, the outer surface of these segments being shaped to fit against the corresponding faces 5 throughout their opposing areas. The outer surfaces of the shell segments, therefore, converge downwardly, as shown in Figures 2, 3, 8 and 9. On the inner side of each shell segment there is a platelike slip insert 1. The upper end of each shell segment 6 has an inside upwardly facing shoulder 3 and the lower end of each segment has an inside upwardly facing shoulder 9. The lower end of each insert 1 rests on the corresponding shoulder 9-and the upper end of each insert has an external downwardly facing. shoulder Iii which rests on the corresponding shoulder 8.

The inner side of each shell segmentis cored out as more accurately shown in Figures 3 and 4 so as to reduce the weight and providing the side ribs H and the cross ribs l2, with the bosses l3 between said ribs, said ribs and bosses forming a firm backing or support for the corresponding slip inserts I.

The inner side of the inserts are suitably toothed as more accurately shown in Figures 1 and 2 so as to form a firm grip on the pipe l4 held by the slips.

The inserts may be secured to the shell segments in any preferred manner as by the upper and lower set bolts l5, I6, which are fitted through the upper and lower ends of the shell segments and are threaded into the corresponding inserts as shown in Figure 8.

The assembled slip segments are connected in pairs forming slip sections, each section being provided with a handle designated generally by the numeral I! so that the slip sections may be conveniently handled as a unit. The segments of each slip section are connected at their upper ends by a bar as I8 through the ends of which the bolts 19 are loosely fitted and said bolts are screwed into the shell segments beneath, as indicated more accurately in Figure 6.

Each handle I! comprises a rod 20, one end of which is threaded through the corresponding bar I8 and whose other end has a cross rod 2| on which the inner ends of the side bars 22 are pivoted and a grip 23 is carried by the outer ends of said side bars. The slip segments, of each section, are further connected by means of the link 24. The link is fitted through slots in the dovetailed plates 25, 25 which in turn are fitted into dovetailed mortises in the adjacent sides of the connected segments 6, 6 and one of said plates may be secured in place by means of the set bolts 26, 26. The link 24 has the enlarged heads 21, 27 on the respective ends thereof, one of which may be formed by welding after the link is inserted through the slots of the plates 25. The segments of the respective slip sections are thus connected loosely together so that they will readily conform themselves to the position of the side faces 5 and to the shape of the pipe to be gripped.

It is to be particularly noted that the faces 5 converge downwardly but are not tapered. They are of the contour of the external curved surface of a cylindrical segment. The axis of the radius of curvature of each of said faces 5 converges downwardly and inwardly with respect to the axis of the gripping faces of the inserts '1, which is also the axis of the gripped pipe it. The outer surfaces, therefore, of the shell segments will bear against the corresponding faces 5 throughout their opposing areas and irrespective of the elevation of said shell segments in the adapter. Consequently the teeth on the inner sides of the inserts may be sharpened and when so sharpened the slip segments will merely move further downwardly into the adapter, to compensate for the material removed by the sharpening process and theshell segments 5 will still form a perfect fit with the corresponding faces '5. This construction also makes it possible to use the slip to hold pipes of different diameters without materially increasing the total weight of the slip assembly by merely substituting new inserts whose inner or toothed faces have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the pipe to be held.

It is to be particularly noted that the pipe being held by the slip will be held against turning as well as against downward movement. In case a tong is applied to the pipe to turn it, for the purpose of breaking out and unscrewing a section above or for the purpose of making up a pipe by screwing a section onto the upper end of it, upon the application of a tortional stress to the pipe M, a corresponding movement will be transmitted to the slip segments causing them to move around slightly in the adapter but the advancing margins of the slip segments will be caused to move inwardly or contract and securely grip the pipe so as to hold it against turning in the slip, the slip thereby forming in effect a gripping tong so that only one tong is necessary in the making up or breaking out the pipe.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention, by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A pipe holding slip comprising an adapter having inside seats, curved in cross section, about separate axes, said axes converging downwardly relative to the central axis of the adapter, and pipe engaging slip segments having external surfaces which conform to the shape of, and closely fit into the seats and having inside curved gripping surfaces provided with approximately vertical rows of pipe engaging teeth.

2. A pipe holding slip comprising an adapter having inside seats, curved in cross section, about separate axes, said axes converging downwardly relative to the central axis of the adapter, and pipe engaging slip segments having external surfaces which fit the seats and having inside curved surfaces having a common axis with the central axis of the adapter and provided with means to grip and hold the pipe against turning.

3. A pipe holding slip comprising a holder for slip segments, said holder having a plurality of inside seats curved in cross sectional contour, said seats having separate axes which converge with repect to the common axis of the holder, slip segments on the seats whose outer surfaces are contoured to conform to the contour of the seats whereby the segments will be moved radially inwardly upon rotation of the holder relative to the segments, the inner faces of the assembled segments forming a gripping surface which defines approximately a cylindrical surface whose axis is common with said axis of the holder, said gripping surface being effective to grip and hold a pipe therein against rotation relative to the slip upon rotation of the slip.

GEORGE B. GORDY, JR. 

